Dimensionally and angularly adjustable template device for interior corner cutting of picture frame mats

ABSTRACT

An adjustable template device for interior corner marking and corner cutting of picture frame mats, having a base member which is horizontally adjustable along axes transverse to each other, whereby the base plate member may be adjusted laterally and longitudinally to position a blade member, which is slidably inserted within a slotted blade guide attached by means of a guide arm assembly, to a desired angular adjustment on a cutting guide assembly base plate, whereby said blade may be horizontally and angularly adjusted to make interior corner cuts within a picture frame mat. Said device is particularly suited for making beveled corner cuts within picture frame mats, whereby the window section of said mat is thereafter removed by employing a straight edged knife, such as by standard technique, by severing said picture frame mat material between the respective corner cuts formed by said template device.

United States Patent 1 Carli DIMENSIONALLY AND ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLETEMPLATE DEVICE FOR INTERIOR CORNER CUTTING OF PICTURE FRAME MATS OthmarCarli, 341 Baltimore St., Gettysburg, Pa. 17325 Filed: Aug. 12, 1974Appl. No.: 496,479

Inventor:

US. Cl. 83/561; 83/562; 83/581; 83/636; 83/697; 83/698; 83/829 Int. ClB26d 3/02 Field of Search 83/561, 562, 581, 636, 83/829, 697, 698

References Cited UN1TED STATES PATENTS 10/1896 McCall 83/581 12/1952Chase 83/581 X 4/1973 Clayton 83/581 X 10/1973 McBride 83/581 X 51 May13, 1975 Primary Examiner-Frank T. Yost Attorney, Agent, or Firm-C.Hercus Just; Samuel M. Learned, Jr.

' ABSTRACT to make interior corner cuts within a picture frame mat. Saiddevice is particularly suited for making beveled corner cuts withinpicture frame mats, whereby the window section of said mat is thereafterremoved by employing a straight edged knife, such as by standardtechnique, by severing said picture frame mat material between therespective corner cuts formed by said template device.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEUMAY x aims 3,882 747 DIMENSIONALLYAND ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE TEMPLATE DEVICE FOR INTERIOR CORNER CUTTING OFPICTURE FRAME MATS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The corner marking andcorner cutting picture frame mat template device herein disclosedconsists of a base plate member having slots to which are assembledslidably adjustable register indicators, as well as a horizontally andvertically adjustable cutting guide assembly which carries in a slottedmember thereof a blade device which is utilized for making interiorcorner cuts in picture frame mats.

Various types of picture mat cutting devices and machines have long beenknown, exemplified for example, by those such as shown in US. Pat. No.286,422 to Gaylord dated Oct. 9, 1883, as well as that disclosure shownin US. Pat. No. 1,023,914 to Badgley, dated Apr. 23, 1912. Both of theaforementioned disclosures show devices and machines which are designedto make vertically cut window openings in picture mat materials. Unlikethe present invention no provision was made, in either of thedisclosures heretofore cited, to accomplish the adjustable beveledmarking or cutting of interior corners in a picture frame mat.

Adjustable devices for locating and marking have also long been known,exemplified for example, by those such as shown in US. Pat. No.2,591,814, dated Apr. 8, 1952, to Hill, as well as the disclosures inUS. Pat. No. 2,830,378 to Givan, dated Apr. 15, 1958, and US. Pat. No.3,381,387 to Landrum, dated May 7, 1968. However, in each of theaforementioned disclosures, although the devices shown therein may besomewhat mechanically similar to the instant invention, the art taughtin each of the aforementioned disclosures is restricted to adjustablemarking only, no provision is made for cutting operations.

Other locating and marking devices of various types have also long beenknown, such as those exemplified by the disclosure in Us. Pat. No.1,081,759 to Marchese, dated Dec. 16, 1913, which shows a box makersgage, as well as the disclosure in US. Pat. No. 1,612,455 to McGeorge,dated Dec. 28, 1926, which shows a device for locating electrical outletboxes or the like in baseboard members along the interior walls of adwelling or habitat. The disclosures cited supra, as well as thepreviously cited disclosures, are mechanically and operationallydistinguishable from the instant invention, in that they are designed tomeet a specific need or application. The aforementioned patent toGaylord and Badgley, although disclosing picture mat cutting devises andmachines, are restricted in their disclosures to vertical cuttingdevises, which therefore makes them patentably distinguishable from theinstant invention in that the instant invention incorporates the featureof enabling beveled interior corner marking and cutting of picture framemats. Additionally, the instant invention is functionally more simpleand economical than the inventions heretofore cited, while at the sametime being equally functional.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the principal object of the presentinvention to provide an angularly and dimensionally adjustable templatemarking and cutting device for locating interior corners and cutting thesame in picture frame mats, the

use of which device will facilitate the ease and accuracy of locatingand cutting interior mat corners, thereby reducing production time andmat material waste consequent from employing other methods, means, andtechniques which do not produce results as expeditiously andsatisfactorily as those obtainable with the present invention.

It is another object to provide an angularly and dimensionallyadjustable template device for interior corner locating and cornercutting of picture frame mats which incorporates a wing bolt assemblywhich enables threadable compressive locking of the marking and cuttingguide assembly of said device in one of three standard angle positionsfor cutting the interior opening in a picture frame mat, namely 90 for astraight vertical cut, or alternately at either or 60 for beveled matcuts.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an angularly anddimensionally adjustable template device for interior corner locatingand corner cutting of picture frame mats which is equally suitable foremployment in custom mat cutting as well as production mat cutting.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide autilitarian yet economical angularly and dimensionally adjustabletemplate device for interior corner marking and corner cutting ofpicture frame mats, which device may be effectively employed by theaverage individual not possessed of special skills nor requiring specialtraining.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide anangularly and dimensionally adjustable template device for interiorcorner locating and corner cut ting of picture frame mats which is setand operable entirely by manual means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of anangularly and dimensionally adjustable interior corner marking andcutting template device shown located upon an exemplary picture framemat, with said device in position for making a beveled corner cut.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the template device shown inFIG. 1, as seen along the line 2-2 thereof.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the angular adjustmentassembly, marking and cutting blade guide, and marking and cutting bladeassembly of the template device shown in FIG. 2, as seen along the line3-3 thereof.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the blade assembly broken midway toforeshorten the view to accommodate the sheet.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the blade assembly shown in FIG. 4, as seenalong the line 5-5 thereof.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the cutting edge of themarking and cutting blade assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, an angularlyand dimensionally adjustable template marking and cutting device 10, forlocating and making interior corner cuts in a picture frame mat 12, isshown in position for making a beveled interior corner cut 14in said mat12. The basic component elements of said device 10 are comprised of aslotted geometrically shaped base plate member 16, to

which is affixed dimensionally adjustable assemblies 18, as well as anadjustably affixed vertical angularly adjustable cutting guide assembly20 by which means the cutting blade assembly 22 of said device isaccurately directed to said mat 12 for making interior corner cuts 14.

Also referring to FIG. 1, to illustrate and explain the details ofadjustment and operation of this invention, initial adjustment andsetting of the template device 10 is contemplated for making interiorcorner cuts 14 by means of setting the dimensionally adjustableassemblies 18 which are comprised of register indicators 24 slidably setto rule means 26 along base plate slots 28, and compressively locked inthe set position by means of register-indicator wing bolts 30. Finallateral and horizontally angular positioning of the vertical angularadjustment cutting guide assembly is accomplished by adjusting baseplate 32 of the vertical angular adjustment cutting guide assembly alongthe slot 34 of the cutting guide assembly base plate and locking saidcutting guide assembly base plate 32 in position by tightening wing bolt36.

The desired angle of the cutting blade assembly 22 is set by means ofrotatably positioning the cutting blade guide arm 38, which pivotallyrotates about the axis of the cutting guide pintle bolt 40 thatthreadably affixes said guide arm 38 to the guide plate 43, andthereafter locking said cutting blade guide arm 38 at an angle of 90,75, or 60 by threadably inserting the guide arm wing bolt 41 into theappropriate angular threaded opening 42 in said guide plate 43, saidguide plate 43 being a vertical extension of the horizontal cuttingguide assembly base plate 32, all of which is more particularly shown inFIG. 2. The cutting blade assembly 22, being generally comprised of ahandle 44 and blade 46, is then slidably inserted through the slottedblade guide 48 and said blade 46 is angularly brought to bear, throughthe template base plate recess 49, at the previously determined positionfor making the interior corner cut 14. Also shown is a cutting board 50,which absorbs the cutting edge 52 of said blade 46 when the corner cut14 is made, thereby preventing unnecessary dulling of the cutting edge52 of the blade or marring the work surface upon which said device 10may be placed for use, said work surface not being shown.

When the device 10 is set for operation, as heretofore described, theinterior corner cut 14 is accomplished by forcing the handle 44 of thecutting blade assembly 22 with either the palm of the hand or a suitablemallet device, neither of which are shown.

The device 10 as disclosed in FIG. 1 may be constructed of metal,plastic, wood, or a combinations thereof, or any other suitablematerial.

Referring to FIG. 2, the template device 10 is shown in enlarged sideelevation as seen along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1. More particularly shownis the guide arm wing bolt 41 by which the cutting blade guide arm 38 islocked in a selected angular cutting position 42, as well as othercomponent elements of the device 10, as heretofore described, inaddition to showing the blade assembly 22 in position to make a beveledinterior corner cut 14, as well as showing said blade assembly 22 inphantom after the interior corner cut 14 has been made and showingthereafter the cutting edge 52 of the blade 46 of said cutting bladeassembly 22 embedded in the cutting board 50 a limited amount.

In FIG. 3 an enlarged fragmentary end view of the device 10 is shown asseen along the line 33 of FIG. 2. The blade 46, however, is shown incutting position, said blade 46 being engaged within the slotted bladeguide 48 of the cutting guide assembly 20, with the cutting edge 52 ofsaid blade 46 impinging upon the face of mat 12 at an exemplary beveledinterior corner cut 14 location.

The enlarged fragmentary elevation of cutting blade assembly 22 shown inFIG. 4 discloses the means provided for changing blade 46, either forpurposes of installing a newly sharpened blade 46, or for purposes ofinstalling a blade 46 having a different configuration of cutting edge52. The blade changing means provided consists of a blade locking setscrew 54 threadably inserted into the cutting blade assembly collarmember 56 in such a manner that said blade 46 is compressively held inposition in the collar member 56 of said cutting blade assembly 22 bymeans of a blade retaining compression member 58.

The view seen in FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the cutting blade assembly22, as seen along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4. However, more particularlyshown is the blade retaining compression member 58, which compressivelyengages the blunt end of blade 46 within the collar member 56 of thecutting blade assembly 22 by means of tightening the blade locking setscrew 54 which is threadably inserted through said collar member 56.

In FIG. 6 there is shown a fragmentary enlarged side elevation of theblade 46, which reveals in greater detail the preferred configuration ofthe cutting edge 52 of said blade 46, and the manner in which saidcutting edge 52 is sharpened in order to effect an interior corner cut14 in the mat 12.

Although the blade 46 and its guide 48 have been illustrated as beingpositioned at an acute angle to the plane of the mat being incised bysaid blade, it is to be understood that said blade and guide may bepositioned perpendicularly to the base plate member 16, if desired.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in its severalpreferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is notto be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and describedsince the same may be carried out in other ways falling within the scopeof the invention as illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A dimensionally and angularly adjustable template device for interiorcorner cutting of the four corners of the window section of a pictureframe mat, said device comprising in combination a dimensionallyadjustable base plate member having guide slots therein disposed at aright angle to each other, an L-shaped cutting blade guide and supporthaving as component elements thereof a threadably lockable slotted basemember to which is perpendicularly attached a vertically extending legmember having a series of threaded holes therein along an arcuatepattern, said leg having a pivotally connected guide arm member attachedthereto at one end of said guide arm member and at the other end thereofhaving a V-shaped slotted blade guide, a V-shaped blade sharpened at oneend and slidably positioned within the slot of said guide, said bladehaving a handle on the opposite end thereof, a threaded wing bolthorizontally inserted through an opening in said guide arm memberbetween the pivot point connection of said guide arm to saidleg memberand said slotted blade guide at the other end thereof whereby said guidearm by means of said pivoted connection to said leg membermay beangularly adjusted relative to the vertical plane to a desired verticalangular setting and be securely locked in such adjusted position at oneof various vertically angular position settings by means of rotatablyinserting said wing bolt into one of said threaded holes in saidvertically extending leg member of said L-shaped cutting blade guideassembly, whereby the blade assembly of said device may be slidablymoved along said V-shaped slotted blade guide and the cutting edge ofsaid blade assembly into cutting engagement with said picture frame matand the handle of said blade then impacted to effect an interior cornercut for the window section of said picture frame mat.

2. The template device according to claim 1, wherein the threaded holesin said vertically extending leg member of said L-shaped cutting bladeguide assembly are positionedwithin said vertically extending leg memberalong said arcuate pattern at angles radially located equally at thesame radial dimension from said guide arm pivot point connection andarranged in relation to 6 the horizontal plane respectively to provideangles of 0, 60, and 75.

3. The template device according to claim 1, wherein the V-shaped bladeof said blade assembly is retained in said handle by means of insertingthe non-cutting end of said blade into a V-shaped slot between astationary and a compressable member within said handle and thereafterforcing said compressable member into compressive engagement of saidnon-cutting end of said blade inserted within said V-shaped slot bymeans of a set screw rotatably inserted through a threaded openingwithin the collar section of said handle, thereby effecting releasablecompressive frictional retention of said blade within said handle ofsaid cutting blade assembly.

4. The template device according to claim 1, wherein the cutting edge ofsaid blade regressively extends from a V-shaped notch formed by theperpendicularly joined blade members thereof, in respective outwardlyand upwardly extending inwardly beveled arcs described along the lateraldimension of each of said blade members from said V-shaped notch to theouter edges of said blade members.

1. A dimensionally and angularly adjustable template device for interiorcorner cutting of the four corners of the window section of a pictureframe mat, said device comprising in combination a dimensionallyadjustable base plate member having guide slots therein disposed at aright angle to each other, an L-shaped cutting blade guide and supporthaving as component elements thereof a threadably lockable slotted basemember to which is perpendicularly attached a vertically extending legmember having a series of threaded holes therein along an arcuatepattern, said leg having a pivotally connected guide arm member attachedthereto at one end of said guide arm member and at the other end thereofhaving a V-shaped slotted blade guide, a V-shaped blade sharpened at oneend and slidably positioned within the slot of said guide, said bladehaving a handle on the opposite end thereof, a threaded wing bolthorizontally inserted through an opening in said guide arm memberbetween the pivot point connection of said guide arm to said leg memberand said slotted blade guide at the other end thereof whereby said guidearm by means of said pivoted connection to said leg member may beangularly adjusted relative to the vertical plane to a desired verticalangular setting and be securely locked in such adjusted position at oneof various vertically angular position settings by means of rotatablyinserting said wing bolt into one of said threaded holes in saidvertically extending leg member of said Lshaped cutting blade guideassembly, whereby the blade assembly of said device may be slidablymoved along said V-shaped slotted blade guide and the cutting edge ofsaid blade assembly into cutting engagement with said picture frame matand the handle of said blade then impacted to effect an interior cornercut for the window section of said picture frame mat.
 2. The templatedevice according to claim 1, wherein the threaded holes in saidvertically extending leg member of said L-shaped cutting blade guideassembly are positioned within said vertically extending leg memberalong said arcuate pattern at angles radially located equally at thesame radial dimension from said guide Arm pivot point connection andarranged in relation to the horizontal plane respectively to provideangles of 0*, 60*, and 75*.
 3. The template device according to claim 1,wherein the V-shaped blade of said blade assembly is retained in saidhandle by means of inserting the non-cutting end of said blade into aV-shaped slot between a stationary and a compressable member within saidhandle and thereafter forcing said compressable member into compressiveengagement of said non-cutting end of said blade inserted within saidV-shaped slot by means of a set screw rotatably inserted through athreaded opening within the collar section of said handle, therebyeffecting releasable compressive frictional retention of said bladewithin said handle of said cutting blade assembly.
 4. The templatedevice according to claim 1, wherein the cutting edge of said bladeregressively extends from a V-shaped notch formed by the perpendicularlyjoined blade members thereof, in respective outwardly and upwardlyextending inwardly beveled arcs described along the lateral dimension ofeach of said blade members from said V-shaped notch to the outer edgesof said blade members.